Dubai International Airport (DXB) recorded 95.2 million passengers in 2025, marking the busiest year in its history and the highest annual international passenger traffic ever handled by any airport.
India remained the largest country market, contributing 11.9 million guests, followed by Saudi Arabia with 7.5 million and the United Kingdom with 6.3 million.
Traffic growth
Pakistan and the United States were the fourth and fifth largest markets, with 4.3 million and 3.3 million guests, respectively. Other markets with notable growth included China, up 16.6% to 2.5 million passengers; Egypt, up 14.3% to 1.8 million; Italy, up 12.5% to 1.6 million; Russia, up 6% to 2.8 million; and Turkey, up 6.7% to 2.2 million.
London remained the airport’s busiest city destination with 3.9 million visitors, followed by Riyadh at 3 million, and Mumbai and Jeddah at 2.4 million each. New Delhi accounted for 2.2 million guests. By the end of 2025, DXB connected to 291 destinations across 110 countries, served by 108 international airlines.
Record performance
December was the busiest month in DXB’s history, with 8.7 million passengers, while the fourth quarter handled 25.1 million guests, up 5.9% compared with the same period in 2024. Total flight movements reached 454,800 for the year, a 3.3% increase from 2024, with an average of 214 passengers per movement and an annual load factor of 77.6%.
Baggage handling also reached record levels, with 86.75 million bags processed. DXB reported that 89% of arriving baggage was delivered within 45 minutes and mishandled baggage remained at 2.47 per 1,000 passengers. Passport control and security checks maintained high efficiency, with the majority of passengers processed in under 15 minutes.
Operational outlook
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said, “Airports are often defined by moments of intensity, but long-term performance is defined by how well those moments are sustained. In 2025, DXB showed that record traffic is no longer an exception, but part of its operating reality. That consistency at scale reflects the maturity of the system and the strength of collaboration across our oneDXB airport community to deliver excellence under growing demand. We expect traffic to approach 99.5 million in 2026, supported by close coordination across the sector and the oneDXB community.”
With demand continuing to grow, Dubai’s airports are focusing on sustaining high performance while delivering a superior passenger experience. Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) will play an increasingly complementary role to support the emirate’s long-term aviation growth.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
